For the town of Churchill, in northern Manitoba, this brings a lot of opportunity but there are fears it could also have environmental consequences. “We’re not just observant based, we’re actually doing studies to address challenges, issues associated with a rapidly opening Hudson Bay,” said Dr. Feiyue Wang, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) Department of Environment and Geography 
and Centre for Earth Observation Science and Director of the CMO. “With increasing shipping and development in the region, you have an increasing risk of oil spills.”

To read the full article, please visit CTV News.

Living through the second Trump administration as a Canadian has been likened, by one commentator, to a teenager being kicked out of the house. We must grow up fast and deal with the fact that we can now only rely on ourselves. So, the federal government is moving fast on files related to security, sovereignty and connectivity. The Liberals passed Bill C-5 to expedite projects that will help Canadians live on our own. Wonderful.

But.

In our rush forward, we cannot overlook the power of nation-building research, which must go hand-in-glove with these infrastructure projects. Research and infrastructure are not competing priorities: they are essential partners in nation-building.

Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, grants the federal government sweeping powers to quickly build large projects that help goods move faster and more easily. This act intends to strengthen our security, autonomy, resilience and advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples. But there can be no nation-building without nation-building research.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has prioritized a project to enhance the Port of Churchill in Hudson Bay. A developed Hudson Bay region can open a stable and sustainable global supply-chain hub, bringing with it transformative socioeconomic change. But research funding is needed to bolster and protect this investment, our rare deepwater Arctic port risks falling short of its potential, or, worse, causes harm to the communities it aims to serve.

Read the full article here. 

UM research mention- Free Press/The Canadian Press

Fei Wang, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), Department of Environment and Geography
Centre for Earth Observation Science and lead for Churchill Marine observatory spoke about the one-year anniversary of the opening of the observatory

CBC Manitoba- Radio noon

CTV Winnipeg

While Mario Pinto, V.P. Research (International) and Barry Prentice, Professor in Supply Chain Management and Director of UM’s Transport Institute spoke to various media outlets about the federal government’s recent indication that the Port of Churchill is a key priority for developing better trade route with Europe, Africa and the Americas.

CJOB radio

Global Winnipeg

The town of Churchill is home to North America’s principal seaport in the Arctic, which is also the only one connected to the southern railway grid. The CMO is a unique facility for both its location as well as its infrastructure, including built-in laboratories and the Ocean-Sea Ice Mesocosm (OSIM), which incorporates outdoor pools that allow for experiments using water drawn directly from Hudson Bay.

The first international researchers to work at the CMO were a team from the Arctic Research Centre at Denmark’s Aarhus University, who visited last November. In collaboration with Dr. Wang, their work focused on monitoring and studying the initial stages of thin ice formation to investigate how algae and microorganisms concentrate, and how they may influence cloud formation and the Earth’s radiation balance.

Shortly afterwards, a team of researchers from the GENICE II project led by Dr. Eric Collins with Dr. Dustin Isleifson, Dr. Gary Stern, and Dr. Nagissa Mahmoudi put the OSIM facility to the test by conducting its first-ever controlled oil spill experiment. Their use of OSIM allowed them to inject marine diesel beneath a layer of ice in the experimental pool and monitor changes while comparing it to the adjacent pristine control pool.

The GENICE II project’s multidisciplinary approach involves microbiology, remote sensing, and chemistry, and allows researchers to investigate how oil would behave and degrade in a natural Arctic environment. The project is funded by Genome Canada and Genome Prairie, with support from the University of Manitoba and McGill University.

In February, a research team led by Dr. Julienne Stroeve and Dr. John Yackel, with collaborations from Dr. Dustin Isleifson, conducted an experiment studying how salinity changes the properties of snow and radar scattering when thin layers of sea ice are weighed down by large amounts of snow precipitation and subsequently flooded from underneath – a phenomenon that could occur more regularly in the Arctic as the sea ice thins under a warming climate.

The CMO has also supported the thesis research of Maeva Gremaud, a visiting graduate student from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Gremaud studied the distribution of mercury, a major contaminant of concern in the Arctic, by comparing sea ice cores taken from OSIM with natural cores retrieved nearby from Hudson Bay.

In July, the CMO’s on-site water treatment system successfully cleaned the OSIM pool water from the first-year experiments, meaning it can be released back into Hudson Bay.

Another core element of the CMO is its Environmental Observing (EO) System, which monitors biogeochemical data from the Churchill River estuary and out along the main shipping lane in Hudson Bay. As part of the EO System and in collaboration with the Port of Churchill, a cabled observatory was deployed off the wharf in the estuary this year in a testing phase, with plans to retrieve it in the fall and redeploy it next spring.

A community-based monitoring program hiring local community members in Churchill to examine drivers of production in the estuary has also been launched through a collaboration between the CMO and Oceans North.

Finally, the CMO is also equipped with an on-site atmospheric monitoring station collecting real-time meteorological and air quality data, supporting research on the atmospheric chemistry and physics of the rapidly changing sub-Arctic region.

Looking forward, the CMO is prepared to host more researchers from different disciplines and sectors, including local and Indigenous researchers, to conduct specialized experiments and to co-develop knowledge and technologies with the town of Churchill, as well as other communities in the region. For example, the GENICE II team will return to the CMO to expand on their study this winter.

Dr. B. Mario Pinto is a vice-president (research and international) at the University of Manitoba.

Donald Trump’s insistent focus on tariffs and trade rebalancing represents a serious challenge for Canada.

In responding to calls for action, individual Canadians have been boycotting American goods and travel and rallying around the “Buy Canadian” mantra. Nationally, easing or removing inter-provincial trade barriers, diversifying our trading partners, and initiating large-scale, national infrastructure projects to ensure our resources and products can flow readily across Canada (and reach global markets) has been in the spotlight.

The House of Commons recently passed Bill C-5, or the Building Canada Act. In his speech announcing the legislation’s passage through the House, Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted his vision for advancing nation-building projects in order to strengthen Canada’s economy.

However, it will be challenging to rally and sustain public backing and the support of all provincial and territorial governments. For example, there is no clear consensus on expanding existing energy pipelines or building new ones to transport energy products to tidal water. In B.C., Premier David Eby is focused on maximizing the TransMountain pipeline before considering additional infrastructure between Alberta and Prince Rupert, B.C. Quebec Premier François Legault has committed only to studying any proposed projects going through his province.

Read the full article at The Globe and Mail.

On Tuesday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Churchill — a town of just under 900 people on Hudson Bay in the province’s far north — could help ensure Arctic sovereignty and national security because it’s accessible via train and has a deep-sea port.

Investing in the port is not only good for diversifying Manitoba’s trade relationships, but also a “really important card that we have to play in strengthening” ties with the U.S. amid likely trade tensions, he said.

To read the entire article which includes comments from Dr. Feiyue Wang, professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the department of environment and geography and Centre for Earth Observation Science plus, Dr. Barry Prentice, professor of supply chain management, at the I.H. Asper School of Business.

Follow the link here to CBC Manitoba.

“If there’s a bear this close to you,” she says as she measures a distance of about 30cm with her hands, “make a fist – and punch it in the nose.

“Polar bears have very sensitive noses – it’ll just run away.”

Tee has not had to put this advice to the test. But growing up here – alongside the planet’s largest land predator – means bear safety is part of everyday life.

To read the entire story and learn about how the UM is involved, please follow the link to the BBC.

The full-length documentary will be on BBC World News on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, then repeated the following weekend.

Among other things, it’s built a free digital surveying tool (Our Data Indigenous) that’s being used by more than 30 Indigenous communities for all sorts of data collection — from moose populations to surveying community desires regarding a proposed recreation centre.

The digital app adheres to the First Nations principle of OPAC (ownership, control, access and possession of data).

To read the full story, please visit Winnipeg Free Press.

The CMO is a globally unique multidisciplinary research facility located adjacent to North America’s only Arctic deep-water port with rail access to the south. Working together with the town of Churchill and communities in the region, CMO researchers study the challenges and opportunities associated with the rapidly changing Arctic Ocean such as increased marine shipping in Hudson Bay and throughout the Arctic.

“For many years the University of Manitoba has been building partnerships with Inuit and First Nations communities and organizations throughout the Arctic to further our collective understanding of the challenges and opportunities climate change will bring our province,” says Dr. Michael Benarroch, UM President and Vice-Chancellor.

“We have been asking how we can ensure our work brings truly positive benefits to northern communities through responsible economic developments and environmental protections. Now, the Churchill Marine Observatory will provide answers to these and many other questions. This unique lab comes at a pivotal moment in our province’s history and UM is proud and excited to be a driving force behind it. We thank our many partners who helped make it a reality.”

Community leaders from Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut along with government representatives attended the grand opening event, including the Honourable Renee Cable, Minister of Advanced Education and Training, His Worship Simionie Sammurtok, Mayor of Chesterfield Inlet and His Worship Mike Spence, Mayor of Churchill.

The facility is made possible by a combined investment of $45 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Provinces of Manitoba and Alberta along with many other partners.

“Congratulations to the University of Manitoba on the grand opening of the Churchill Marine Observatory,” says Hon. Dan Vandal, Minister of PrairiesCan, Governent of Canada.

“It is an excellent addition to the Town of Churchill and offers Canada new insights about extreme weather and climate change. The benefits of this multi-disciplinary, globally unique facility offer tremendous research opportunities for Manitoba and demonstrates the potential for success when partners come together.”

“The Churchill Marine Observatory is a testament to the ingenuity, dedication, and perseverance of the University of Manitoba administration, faculty and staff who are leading a new era in Arctic research,” says Hon. Renée Cable.

“This project will bolster our fight against climate change, support sustainable and green economic growth and contribute to protecting our planet’s fragile and connected ecosystems. It also positions Manitoba as a leader in Arctic research and will attract talent from around the world.”

To facilitate broader community engagement with UM, a Community Knowledge Exchange Panel led by Mario Pinto, UM Vice-President (Research & International) took place at the Churchill Community Centre. Open to all, the panel included CMO Co-Lead CJ Mundy, Mayor Spence, and representatives for the Arctic Gateway Group, Churchill Chamber of Commerce, and the community of Churchill.

CMO will also help host the Churchill Barber Science Symposium, a community-engaged event that will include an evening panel discussion followed by a series presentations highlighting expert submitted research. The event is additionally supported by the Town of Churchill, Polar Bear International, and the Churchill Northern Studies Centre.

“Community leaders across the region have initiated discussions with UM researchers to take control of their socio-economic futures in light of changing climate, and pressure from global supply chain instability,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research & International). “Our work at CMO is informed and inspired by the Indigenous worldview, aligning with UM strategies for social and economic reconciliation and research by with and for Indigenous Peoples.”

Research impacts of the facility

The research infrastructure of the CMO includes three core facilities.

Dustin Isleifson, director of CEOS, at the Ocean-Sea Ice Mesocosm facility

The Ocean-Sea Ice Mesocosm (OSIM) incorporates outdoor pools used to study processes across the ocean, sea ice and seawater interface, as well as the detection and mitigation of contaminants associated with marine shipping.

The Environmental Observing system is a series of taut-line moorings located along the main shipping channels across Hudson Bay providing a state-of-the-art monitoring system used for larger studies in the Arctic environment.

The third core facility is the Research Vessel which is operated in partnership with the Arctic Research Foundation, to facilitate ship-based studies around Hudson Bay.

“The research happening at the Churchill Marine Observatory is helping Canada respond to the pressing challenges caused by a changing Arctic,” said Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. “By supporting one-of-a-kind facilities, the CFI is giving researchers from around the globe unprecedented access to the tools they need to collaborate on solutions that will benefit people everywhere.”  

A dedicated atmospheric station and radar systems at the CMO are now online, providing nearly continuous observation of changes in the air and sea ice at the facility and in the nearby area.  Several research projects with international participation are scheduled to take place at the CMO starting November 2024.

“UM has long been a global leader in Arctic research with a specific focus on climate change and its effects,” said Dr. Feiyue Wang, Project Lead of the CMO and Associate Dean, Research and Innovation at the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources.

“An ice-free Hudson Bay and a summer ice-free Arctic Ocean is a future we don’t know much about – a future we are approaching more rapidly than expected. At the CMO our research is intensifying around scientific, technological and socio-environmental issues as the Arctic opens, for better or worse, as never before in the modern human history.”

The CMO was made possible thanks to the vision and leadership of the late Dr. David Barber, who is honoured with a plaque at the new facility. His tireless work helped to place Canada at the forefront of Arctic research and established opportunities for innumerable students and researchers to better understand the impacts of the rapidly changing Arctic and beyond.

UM research partnerships in Churchill are an example of the university’s commitment to taking action on climate change. In the coming weeks, UM Today will feature in-depth stories and profiles about CMO and its world-class researchers, including Dr. Feiyue Wang on President Benarroch’s What’s the Big Idea podcast airing Oct.9.

Beluga whales swim in the waters adjacent to the Churchill Marine Observatory.

The Churchill Marine Observatory, located adjacent to the Port of Churchill, is intended to help detect oil spills and collect data on their mitigation and impact.

“As climate change is occurring here, we’re expecting more shipping through this deep water port in Churchill, and that might bring some accidents along with it,” the project’s co-lead, CJ Mundy, told 680 CJOB’s The Start.

To read the full article, please visit Global News Winnipeg.